


Breathless

by volatileSoloist



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Drowning, M/M, Magic Kisses, May Or May Not Be Continued, Pirates, mermaid!au, probably not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-21 16:37:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12461688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volatileSoloist/pseuds/volatileSoloist
Summary: Junkrat has pushed his luck too many times, and now he has to walk the plank.





	Breathless

Rat had been kicked out of a lot of different places in his life, and at this point, it didn’t really faze him. Maybe he was just destined to be a drifter. But today, it sunk in just how bad it can be to overstay your welcome.

The slim man stood on the edge of the plank, trying to plant himself as firmly as he could. Before him was the crew of corsairs he’d been travelling with for the past few months. He’d been caught pocketing some of the treasure they’d stored away, and in doing so, he’d made all of them furious.

Rat still didn’t really fault himself for his actions; he just had a penchant for shiny things. The treasure had seemed so glittery, and they were only a day or two away from shore, so surely he’d be able to sneak off with whatever he could carry… if only he hadn’t gotten caught.

The leader of the crew, Captain Amari, walked forward, brandishing her bayonette at him. He leaned back, almost losing his balance until he flailed his arms out. He’d ask why they hadn’t bound his arms, but he knew the reason: the instant he jumped—or fell, at this point—his fake arm and leg would weigh him down and drag him into the briny deep.

“C’mon, Cap’n, can’t we be reasonable? It was only one time!” Rat pleaded, grinning desperately.

“Three times, Rat. I do not have much tolerance for thieves on my vessel, and you continue to push my limits. There is no longer room for you on this ship.” Her tone was absolutely authoritative, and there was a look in her eyes that struck fear into Rat’s heart. “I wouldn’t waste your words on me, and instead pray that some god has mercy on your soul, because you will not find it from me, and you will not find it from the ocean.”

With that, she jabbed the bayonette forward; Rat jerked back, but the blade grazed his stomach, sending a flare of pain through him. Regardless, it was quickly forgotten as he finally lost his balance and fell off the plank.

The impact of hitting the water’s surface combined with the utter cold felt like a punch to the stomach as he went under. The discomfort from the wound increased as the salt stung at it, and Rat flailed desperately, trying to get back to the surface.

Quickly, he realized that he’d never make it with his false limbs on; racing against a clock that was fast ticking out, he loosened the straps securing them, and wrenched them off. They disappeared into the dark depths as he wiggled his way back to the surface. He finally broke through, and greedily gasped air into his waterlogged lungs.

It was hard and tiring to try to swim with only two limbs, so he maneuvered himself onto his back. This way, he could watch the sky; maybe he’d see some seagulls, and they’d lead him to shore. That was, of course, assuming he’d be able to swim that far.

He missed his prosthetics. He’d had them for so long, and it pained him to let them fall into the abyss. Struggling to stay afloat, he wondered if he’d taken them for granted.

Rat quickly lost track of time, only realizing how long it’d been when the sun began to dip lower into the sky. He’d practically zoned out for most of it, until he felt something suddenly brush against his leg, jerking him into awareness.

He kicked out hard, but he didn’t connect with anything. He began to wonder if he’d been imagining it when something suddenly clamped down on the back of his shirt and dragged him beneath the water’s surface.

Rat struggled desperately against whatever had grabbed ahold of him, and his fingers brushed something rough, almost sandpaper-like, and he froze, fear and realization flooding through him. The open wound on his stomach had attracted a shark, and he was going to die.

He finally opened his eyes, prepared to see the most dangerous creature in the sea, but all he saw was a human face staring back at him. His first thought was that it was an incredibly attractive face, with a strong jaw, flowing hair, and plenty of rugged scars, but that was neither here nor there.

The next thing he noticed, as he looked down, was that the man who had dragged him under had... a shark’s tail. So _that_ was what he had felt. Then his mind rebooted, and he did a double-take. Rat had never been one to believe in tales of merpeople; he had thought it was just sailor superstition. But here before him was a real, live merman, staring at him with glossy, dark eyes.

The mermaid tilted his head down, and reached out a webbed, clawed hand to trace along the abrasion on his stomach. He shivered at the touch, trying to squirm away, but the merman had a firm grip on him.

Rat’s lungs began to burn; he could generally hold his breath for a long time, but he hadn’t really had time to gather enough air before being dragged under. He tried to kick his way up to the surface, but now the merman had both hands on him. One hand wandered over to his stump of a right leg, while the other went up to his neck.

This was beginning to be a problem. While he would generally have little to no issue with a hot man grabbing ahold of his throat, he was drowning, and Rat needed to actively resist the urge to gasp as hands gently but firmly explored his body.

One of the merman’s hands trailed up to his thigh; the merman was staring at his lower body with his head cocked to the side, a look almost quizzical in nature. Other hand remained at his neck, rubbing and putting pressure on the sides of it, and he lost the contest of wills, letting out a bubble of precious air.

Rat was beginning to get a bit overwhelmed with all the stimuli being thrown at him: the burning in his lungs, the soft touch at his upper legs and neck, and the intensity of the dark eyes staring at him. He smiled nervously at the merman before him, squirming slightly in his hold.

Then, even with the impassivity of the merman’s black eyes, he noticed a change in his gaze; a widening of the eyes. As his own vision started to go dark, he saw the merman getting closer, opening his mouth slightly to reveal sharp, jagged teeth. _This is it,_ Rat thought, _This is how I die._

He finally couldn’t hold his breath any longer, and he gasped, causing water to flood into his mouth and nose. It burned, even worse than the wound on his stomach, and he flailed desperately, a last-ditch effort to break away and swim toward the surface. He could feel the water sloshing inside his stomach, and the dizziness was getting too intense, despite it being a sensation he usually enjoyed.

Just before everything faded completely, he felt something soft press against his lips: a gentle, exploratory touch that broadened into a kiss. Rat found himself kissing back desperately, and it wasn’t until he broke away with a gasp that he realized he’d just breathed in more water, and it hadn’t even hurt.

His vision started to clear, and when it was completely back to normal, he stared in awe and disbelief at the merman. A small smile grew on the merman’s face, seemingly amused at his reaction. 

Rat hadn’t believed in magic either before today, but clearly today was a day for dramatically expanding his horizons. Still amazed that he was suddenly breathing water in like it was air, he tried to speak and thank his savior, but the sound that came out was muffled, like trying to talk through a very thick pillow. He tried again, but the result was the same.

The merman shook his head, placing a finger to Rat’s lips as if to shush him, and he placed Rat’s hand in his—god, that was a _huge_ hand—and with a powerful flick of his tail, he pulled him further into the deep.

Rat wondered if the merman was taking him to a secret, merperson city. Well, it’s not like Rat’s day could get any stranger anyway.

And after all, it’s not like he had anywhere else to go, or people he was leaving behind. In terms of gallivanting into the unknown, as he _was_ wont to do, he could certainly do worse than a strong, handsome merman as his guide. He’d just have to see what lay in store for him.


End file.
